I think Umberto Eco tackled this in Foacolt’s Pendulum.<\/p>\n
In a series of new papers, Dr. Proulx and Steven J. Heine, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, argue that these findings are variations on the same process: maintaining meaning, or coherence. The brain evolved to predict, and it does so by identifying patterns.When those patterns break down \u2014 as when a hiker stumbles across an easy chair sitting deep in the woods, as if dropped from the sky \u2014 the brain gropes for something, anything that makes sense. It may retreat to a familiar ritual, like checking equipment. But it may also turn its attention outward, the researchers argue, and notice, say, a pattern in animal tracks that was previously hidden. The urge to find a coherent pattern makes it more likely that the brain will find one.<\/strong>
\nvia Mind – How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect – NYTimes.com<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I think Umberto Eco tackled this in Foacolt’s Pendulum. In a series of new papers, Dr. Proulx and Steven J. Heine, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, argue that these findings are variations on the same process: maintaining meaning, or coherence. The brain evolved to predict, and it does so by … <\/p>\n